My homemade EQ fork mount

[Vroobel]

Hi. 

Unexpectedly, yesterday my telescope got its first light on the new mount. 

I am delighted by the precision of a polar alignment given by both leveling and the mechanics of the wedge and also the home made guider (the SW finderscope and the ASI 120 MM mini camera) did the job excellently. 

I'm not so happy in relation to its tracking. I still have some error and I don't know yet what does bring it. 

After first several hours of use I have some vision about its modularity, cables and the assembling and disassembling ergonomics. 

[Vroobel]

Hi, 

Since my last post I made some additional amendments, everything for the ease of assembly and mobility. 

The electronics found a home in the fork frame, so it must be powered and the Ra stepper motor must be connected in easy and safe way. I like multi-pin sockets and plugs like the one used for connecting a microphone to CB or other radio station, so I use them everywhere it's reasonable. 

The stepper motors and the drivers are powered with 24V using a pulse inverter and it's good at home. But I have a plan to go somewhere under darker sky in future so I had to change the idea to be ready to power them from the car battery, which I have at home. Therefore I replaced the 24V pulse inverter with a 12V one supported by a 12V/24V 10A DC/DC inverter. It's placed in the fork frame as well, because some equipment (a dew heaters driver, an intervalometer, a dummy battery and a main mirror fan) requires the 12V power as well. 

BTW, the weather won't improve till September, so I can do much more peacefully... 

[skyguynca]

I am going to start assembling my fork mount this weekend. I got sidetracked this past weekend making a retro gaming console for the family. 12,114 video games from the first video game pong was made to 2010 games. Designed in SolidWorks, cut on my cnc router did a test fit. Then disassembled painted wtih a retro 90 splat paint job. Family loves it, wife plays it as much as the kids. They have forgone the Wii and Playstation.

Cheers

David

Edited April 1, 2022 by skyguynca

[Vroobel]

Wow, you had the same idea as my one! I have working Atari 65XE with California Access 2001 floppy drive and cassette recorder turned into an "SIO2SD" that means there is SD reader/converter with 2GB of all games and demos ever released. I have an idea to buy 5:4 17" LCD and place everything in an Alu case as a old school 8-bit laptop. The result should be similar to your one! 

Regarding your one, it looks impressive, my daughter also likes it! 😁👍

[skyguynca]

Thanks, my daughter is the one in the picture playing. She was the first one on it, but my wife and 4 year old are on it the most playing Super Mario preschool games, learning math and spelling

Cheers

David

[tsafalk]

On 13/08/2021 at 15:25, Vroobel said:

Hi. 

Unexpectedly, yesterday my telescope got its first light on the new mount. 

I am delighted by the precision of a polar alignment given by both leveling and the mechanics of the wedge and also the home made guider (the SW finderscope and the ASI 120 MM mini camera) did the job excellently. 

I'm not so happy in relation to its tracking. I still have some error and I don't know yet what does bring it. 

After first several hours of use I have some vision about its modularity, cables and the assembling and disassembling ergonomics. 

 

Good work indeed you have completely build the nice mount plus controller very nice I just yesterday visited this thread searching self made mount and controller .

[Vroobel]

Hi, 

I'm sorry that I stopped reporting about the progress somewhere in middle, but the life plots its own scenario. I was focused more on the mount than on writing about it. 

Actually, I can say that the most important work is done. Of course, we can always find something to improve, but the mount works and it works satisfactorily. 

Everyone happy to pass quickly through the history of its building within 18 mins is welcome to my channel. 

 

Edited December 19, 2022 by Vroobel

[markse68]

Amazing work Vroobel!

Mark

[Vroobel]

😊

Thank you. 

[timwetherell]

Love it! Very ingenious use of the scissor jack! Building your own stuff adds a whole extra dimension to the hobby - especially in a 99% cloudy country

[Vroobel]

Thanks

I didn't think about the clouds, when I was drawing sketches... The ATM/DIY keeps me busy all the time. I would die of boredom waiting for the clear sky. My mount was outside around 10 times in the 2022, including work on its improvement and tests. 😠 

 

[timwetherell]

12 hours ago, Vroobel said:

Thanks

I didn't think about the clouds, when I was drawing sketches... The ATM/DIY keeps me busy all the time. I would die of boredom waiting for the clear sky. My mount was outside around 10 times in the 2022, including work on its improvement and tests. 😠 

 

Any possibility of an observatory at your place? Been a game changer for me

[Vroobel]

If the one in your avatar is made on your own, then I love it! It's most beauty cute house for the telescope! 😍

But not, I canot do it. Someone ask the same question in YT comment, so let me please quote myseff: I would really like to do it, but it's not my possesion and it's not best place, houses and trees around limits my view. I would consider a static caravan...  

I can consider the observatory, if I move to my own place. 

Edited January 5, 2023 by Vroobel

[timwetherell]

1 hour ago, Vroobel said:

If the one in your avatar is made on your own, then I love it! It's most beauty cute house for the telescope! 😍

Thanks  yep, was built over several years and very useful. But I appreciate that for many people, this isn't a viable option. Only became possible for me in recent years.